1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to refuse compactors and in particular to means for supporting and leveling such compactors for under-counter installations.
2. Description of the Background Art
In one form of refuse compactor, the apparatus is installed in an under-counter or similar confined space. It has been conventional to slide the appliance into the space on the subjacent floor. In such installations, it has been conventionally necessary to adjust the support means of the appliance so as to position the appliance in the space at a desired height and in a level disposition. A number of different devices have been developed to provide for such adjustment, but have had a number of serious disadvantages.
Illustratively, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,520,116 of Henry Buchter, a caster is disclosed which may be adjusted to compensate for unevenness in floors and the like. In the Buchter caster structure, the roller is carried by a bracket having a serrated face. A stem of the caster is provided with a pair of pins, with the brackets being pivotally carried by one pin. A pawl is pivotally carried by the second pin for engagement by the serrated face portion of the bracket to provide a latching of the structure in any one of a plurality of different height positions.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,281,769, Gustav F. Hochreim discloses a leveling system for a scale in which a pair of cam-like support elements are connected to a common shaft which extends between the side walls of the scale and can be rotated to adjust the height of the front portion of the scale. The cam surfaces are provided with a plurality of cut-out portions that selectively receive a locking pin carried by a spring biased, pivotally mounted arm. The rear portion of the scale is supported by rollers.
Albert J. Matter, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,793,467, shows a foot adjuster for an appliance wherein one end of the foot is pivoted to the baseplate of the appliance, and the other end is adjustably vertically positioned about the pivot by a U-shaped cam which is movable toward and from the pivot by a screw. A spring urges the front end of the shoe upwardly to maintain the shoe in engagement with the cam.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,393,846, John P. Cannon et al disclose an automobile jug having pivotally mounted adjustable feet selectively retained in position by screws extending through an upper portion of the feet into the body of the jug.
Richard P. Bergeson discloses, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,989, an adjustable three-point support for an appliance, such as a dishwasher. The support includes a pair of threaded legs adjacent the front of the dishwasher and an adjustable member at the rear thereof. An elongated element extends from the front of the appliance to permit adjustment from the front of the adjustable member at the rear so as to effect desired leveling of the appliance rear portion.
Means for leveling an appliance, such as a refuse compactor, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,753,400 of Frank E. Miller, which patent is owned by the assignee hereof. As shown therein, the compactor is adjustably supported on four support elements which are adjustably threaded into the base of the compactor.
Lauren W. Guth, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,927,853, shows a household appliance leveling system permitting the appliance to be leveled after it has been installed in an undercounter position wherein a wedge member can be selectively moved forward or rearward by a tension member so as to swing a pivotally mounted leveling bracket at the rear of the appliance suitably to urge the free end of the bracket against the floor so as to raise the rear portion of the appliance. Threaded support elements are provided at the front of the appliance.
A tilt mechansim for a projector is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,968,949, of Frank A. Romano, Jr. The mechanism includes a base about which a load-carrying platform is swung in a vertical plane. Selective swinging of the platform relative to the base causes the base to raise the front or rear of the projector above a flat support surface.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,815, of Gerhard K. Losert, a self-locking support mechanism is disclosed for leveling an appliance relative to the floor. The device includes a rotatable cam member having a pivot point, a cam surface to contact the floor for height adjustment, and a radius surface relative to the pivot point. The cam member rotates by a pin through the pivot point and a slot in the support member, and the pin is slidably movable within the slot. The slot and support end wall are spaced from each other and converge toward each other in a direction away from the floor so that upon rotating the cam member, the pin is moved within the slot away from the floor and the cam member radius surface abuts the support end wall to lock the cam member in the adjusted disposition.
At times it is desirable to prevent sliding movement of the support for the appliance. It has heretofore been conventional to provide boots for underlying the caster wheels of caster devices, and one illustrative example of such a boot is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,033,207 of Edward H. Schultz, Jr. As shown therein, a boot for the caster wheel is provided in the form of a yoke having a baseplate which is positionable under the wheel to define means for supporting the caster on the subjacent floor.
William V. Meyer, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,698,454, shows a caster device having a boot with an opening in the bottom plate so that upon vertical selective positioning of the boot relative to the wheel axis, the wheel is either retracted within the boot or exposed downwardly through the opening.